About Guy

My education as a psychologist

My path to becoming a psychologist led me through many avenues. I have studied and worked in a variety of mental health and social services settings for over 25 years—as a caregiver, a social worker, a psychotherapist, and now an analyst in training. I currently practice as a Licensed Psychologist, a doctorate-level license for mental health professionals in California. My experiences have taught me to have great patience for people’s suffering. I give of myself fully to my practice, because I’ve been blessed with the same gift from my therapists.

Along with my private practice, I have been a part-time faculty member and supervisor of clinical interns. My research on the positive resolution of mental health crises was selected for presentation at the American Psychological Association annual convention in Washington, DC, in 2006. In the recent past, I developed and managed a child counseling program, addressing individual and family therapy, intake, assessment, and complimentary care. I also worked for many years with adults in inpatient and outpatient settings.

My approach to psychotherapy

I was trained in both brief and long-term approaches to psychotherapy. I am currently in advanced candidacy at the C.G. Jung Institute of San Francisco. This is a post-license program for experienced professionals to deepen our understanding of the human psyche, both for our own growth and for the benefit of those we serve. This work provides a means of navigating and transforming serious mental health conditions and repetitive patterns of behavior. It greatly influences my approach to psychotherapy. The choice is always yours to find the right level of involvement in our work together.

In therapy with children, I use sand play and play therapy to communicate with the child and to understand his or her unease. (See frequent questions for more information on these approaches to therapy.) My work with teens and adults may involve relational dynamics, dreams, transitional issues, and various expressive methods to look into the underlying causes of stress or concern. Human beings are complex creatures and psychological issues can be proof of this complexity. It’s my pleasure to help you or your child/teen through these issues. My aim is that you’ll get a glimpse of your own perfect wholeness and find greater ease in your life.

My background

I was born in a French-speaking area of Canada, and I have lived in the US for most of my adult life. I enjoy the Bay Area’s social diversity and the many outdoor and cultural activities the area provides. I also like to explore the multiple approaches to health and well-being that are available to us: Yoga, meditation, physical exercise, and alternative therapies. In this regard, I believe psychotherapy provides the basis for an integrative approach to wellness. The right kind of psychotherapy provided the container for me to embrace my life experiences, the epiphanies, the challenges, and everything in between.

I’ve had a variety of personal and professional experiences that have informed me over the years. I’ve led support groups for men, facilitated creative expression groups for children, and offered psycho-spiritual support for the dying. I have lived in intimate partnerships, suffered separation, and experienced the difficulties of personal crises. What ties these experiences together is my desire to be an assertive and empathic presence in the world. With careful unwavering support, I’ve learned to live with my failures and recognize my strengths. I’ve learned to trust in the deep healing that occurs when two people, psychotherapist and client, commit to this process together. I envision this being my profession until well past common retirement age.

Carl Jung was a Swiss psychiatrist whose work with unconscious processes in the early- to mid-twentieth century made him a pioneer in the field of mental health. Many of the notions he developed have become part of our daily language. He coined the terms introversion and extraversion, and whereas introverts may have been considered deviant or maladapted, Jung normalized this as a variant of human nature. He also spoke of the existence of a “collective unconscious,” a controversial concept [...]

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I believe there is a wisdom within each conflict, whatever the source: uncomfortable feelings, difficulties with [...]